Social network strategies in child maltreatment prevention: A scoping review

Social network strategies have emerged as a popular component of child maltreatment prevention programs. However, limited evidence exists on how these strategies are applied and whether they contribute meaningfully to program outcomes.

This scoping review aims to synthesize how social network strategies are used in child maltreatment prevention programs and their associated outcomes.

This study reviewed 23 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2023. Eligible studies included interventions that incorporated social network strategies and targeted parents or caregivers. Our results are structured to reflect a three-level social network intervention framework-intra-personal, inter-personal, and contextual.

Most studies (n = 18) were conducted in high-income countries and focused on mothers. Contextual strategies (e.g., forming groups) were most common, followed by intra-personal (e.g., building social skills) and inter-personal strategies (e.g., strengthening tie). While most studies reported positive parenting and support outcomes, only 10 out of 23 included studies specifically examined the outcomes of network strategies.

Despite the popularity of certain intrapersonal and contextual network strategies, several network change strategies remain underutilized in child maltreatment prevention programs. Additionally, because few studies measured outcomes associated with network strategies, the potential psychosocial benefit of network strategies needs to be interpreted with caution. Future research should systematically incorporate network theories in the design of network strategies and intentionally measure their impact on maltreatment prevention outcomes across diverse socio-economic contexts.